PJUSD Newsletter

Email

Contact:

Susan White

Executive Assistant / Cabinet Member

swhite@patterson.k12.ca.us

September is Attendance Awareness Month!

Our district attendance goal is 95% daily attendance. Let’s work together to meet this goal!

Showing up on time every day is important to your child’s success and learning from preschool through high school.

Missing just 2 days a month means a child misses 10% of the school year.

Missing 10% of school (1 or 2 days every few weeks) can make it harder to:

• Learn and develop reading and math skills.

• Build relationships.

• Develop good attendance habits.

• Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success.

Did you know?

• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.

• Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

Remember, there are only a few reasons why your child should stay home (below):

Please Communicate with the school

• Know the school’s attendance policy – incentives and penalties.

• Check on your child's attendance on Aeries to be sure absences are not adding up.

• Seek help from school staff, other parents, or community agencies if you need support.

For the month of September, we are recognizing students that are at school daily, on time, and stay the entire day:

Elementary Schools

• There will be weekly recognition for the grade level with the best attendance at each school site

• The grade level with the highest attendance for the month will win a prize

Secondary Schools

• On-Time On Target tickets given in random classes to students there on time-redeemable for a prize

• The grade level with the highest attendance for the month will win a prize

Encourage your child/ren to be at school on time every day! They can win a prize/s!!

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Preschool Enrollment

Do you have a child whose 5th birthday will occur between September 2, 2023 and April 2, 2024? If so, your child qualifies to attend our exceptional transitional kindergarten program housed at PJUSD’s West Valley Learning Center. Also, children who are three or four years old may also enroll and attend one of our excellent preschool programs.

To inquire about PJUSD’s transitional kindergarten program or our preschool programs, including how to enroll, please contact the West Valley Learning Center staff at (209) 892-4550.

Camp Taylor for TK-6th Grades

Our district offers both after school and expanded learning opportunities to our students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade through our ASES program and our Extended Learning Opportunity Program (ELO-P). As part of our ELO-P, PJUSD is providing engaging and fun enrichment camps this year at nearby Camp Taylor.

For further information regarding our ASES or ELO-P programs, please contact Jackie Lawrence, Expanded Learning Coordinator, at (209) 895-7700, ext. 22052.

As we have started our 2023-2024 year, I would like to share the status of what the Facilities Construction Department is working on:

PHS Klein Gym Flooring Replacement has been completed, however after seeing that bright and shiny new floor we realized that a fresh coat of paint to the interior would be the finishing touch. We will be painting only the gray areas, including the lobby, with keeping the current graphics intact.

PHS New Pool & Front Rejuvenation has officially broke ground with a completion date of August 2024. We are very excited for this competition size pool for our students and community. As part of the Front Rejuvenation, a memorial area will be placed between the two palm trees where current dedication plaques will be relocated as well as a time capsule.

PHS New Gymnasium is in the design phase and will allow for us to host competition Basketball games with ample spectator seating.

We are happy to announce that we will be converting the old band room at PHS into a Cosmetology Program. This project is in the planning stages but progressing at a pace that will see students with a fully functioning program for the 2025 school year.

Grayson E.S. will be getting a New Library Building, outdoor learning space and resurfacing of hardscape area. This project has seen some challenges that have caused a delay but it is anticipated be in construction next summer.

A New Multipurpose Building at Creekside Middle School is currently in the design planning phase to allow for additional, indoor eating space.

The building located between PDC and Admin. Services will soon be turned over to the District with plans to relocate several departments to better utilize our spaces.

Last but not least, our new Bond supported New Elementary School to be located at Ward and Calvison is in the environmental review process. With this being the first step of the process of building a new campus, we have a few years before construction starts.

Want a quick and easy way to stay connected with our schools and district? Here's how to activate the text feature in ParentSquare:

Step 1: Log in to your ParentSquare account.

Step 2: Click on your profile picture or name in the upper-right corner.

Step 3: Select "Account Settings" from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: Scroll down to the "Text Message Settings" section.

Step 5: Choose the option that says "Receive Text Messages."

Step 6: Enter your mobile phone number and follow the prompts to verify your number.

Now, you'll receive crucial updates on your phone, ensuring that you're always in the loop, even when you're on the go.

Getting too many messages from your schools? We understand that staying informed is crucial, but we also value your time and convenience. Switch to the digest format and get all your school updates in one concise email:

Step 1: While in your "Account Settings," scroll down to the "Notification Settings" section.

Step 2: Find the option that says "Receive Messages" and choose "Digest" instead of "Individual Messages."

Step 3: Don't forget to hit the "Save" button at the bottom to apply your changes.

By making this change, you'll declutter your inbox and ensure that you never miss an important message.

We hope these features help you have a quicker, more enjoyable experience with ParentSquare.

Come Join Our Team!

Patterson Joint Unified School District is looking for talented individuals to join our team. If you are interested in employment with our district you can go to www.edjoin.org/pattersonunified to find our current vacancies. Please note that only applicants who are currently employed with PJUSD can submit interest for internal postings. However, we are also currently looking to fill vacancies from external candidates for Yard Duty, After School Program Leaders, Paraeducators, in addition to Nutrition Services, Grounds, and Custodial team members.

Those not interested in permanent employment with Patterson Joint can apply to become a qualified substitute to fill in for staff absences. If you want more information on how to be added to our substitute list please contact Delia Salinas by emailing her at dsalinas@patterson.k12.ca.us.

Website: https://www.patterson.k12.ca.us
Location: 510 Keystone Boulevard, Patterson, CA, USA
Phone: 209-895-7700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PJUSD95363